Prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,086,928 and 4,098,280 illustrate what the applicant regards as the most pertinent prior art. In both instances, these patents disclose coin sorters which employ annular sorting heads positioned over and adjacent to a rotating disc having a resilient pad, coins being introduced through a central opening in the sorting head. The underside of the sorting head is configured to effect a single file of coins which spirals outward to a radial position where, in accordance with U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,928, an inner facing edge of a peripheral guide on the disc causes the outer edge of coins to be referenced at a discrete radial position. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,280, the peripheral guide is moved on the head. Beyond the peripheral guide, the coins are rotated to circumferentially spaced coin sorting devices. In the case of U.S. Pat. No. 4,086,928, these devices consist of a series of wheels which are positioned to press down on the inner edges of coins, passing them into the resilient disc. When this is done, the outer edge of a coin rises, and it is flung over the edge of the peripheral guide at the circumferential point where that wheel is located. Each of the sorting wheels is located at a different radial position, each being adapted to engage the inner edge of a particular diameter coin and thus cause it to be flung outward at the particular location of that wheel. Logically, the first of the wheel depressors is positioned at the shortest radial position in order to engage the largest of the coins to be sorted. The other depressing wheels are positioned at progressively longer radial positions to thereby progressively sort smaller coins.
The system of U.S. Pat. No. 4,098,280 employs a quite different type of sorting devices, these consisting of a series of recesses spaced around the periphery of the sorter, and wherein each has an inner edge located at a different discrete radial position and each recess functions to release a coin from radial retention. Since, as in the case of the sorter of the first patent, the coins have their outer edges indexed to a common reference, a discrete one of the recesses is positionable to free a discrete size coin and enable it to be released and discharged by centrifugal force at a discrete circumferential position. Thus, sorting occurs in a reverse order to that of the system of the first patent in that the smallest coin is intercepted and sorted first. Both of the sorters have gained wide acceptance and are at this time the only two types of really high-speed (in excess of 3,500 coins per minute) coin sorters on the market.
It has been determined that there are two aspects of these prior art sorters which, if corrected or improved, would provide a materially improved coin sorter. The first one deals with the interruption or stopping of the machine while there are coins in the machine. When this is done, neither of the existing machines can accurately resume operation. A second feature of the two sorters, particularly with respect to the first of them, is that of criticality of adjustment of the proximity of the sorting head to the rotating disc.
The applicant has considered these, and it is the object of the present invention to provide a new and improved high-speed coin sorter in which the sorting of a batch of coins can be interrupted without inaccuracy in sorting or counting of discrete denominations of coins and at the same time increase the tolerance of adjustment of the sorting head.